Boot or shoe.



J. W. SAFFOLD. BOOT 0R SHOE. APPLICAHON FILED ocr. 24. 1914.

Patented Mar, 13,1917.

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HVVEIVTOR."

J. W. SAFFOLD'. BOOT OR S HOE. APPLICATION FILED (201K124, I EI4.

' 1,219,165. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETSSMEET 2- WITNESSES: uwmrom- (7/7 cw? g w ATTORNEY.

JAMES WEBB SAFFOLD, OF CLEVELAND, ()HIO Specification of Letters Patent.

BOOT OR SHOE. v

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed October 24, 1914. Serial No. 868.3 98.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that 1, JAMES nnn SarroLn, a citizen of the United States of America. residing at Cleveland. in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful lmprovenu-nts in Boots or Shoes. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in boots or shoes, and has for its object the provision of a sole brace or support, preferably secured in position within the shank of the shoe which will yieldingly stay the foot of the wearer. lending resilient support thereto. and which will retain the shoe in its normal shape and thereby prolong its life, as well as causing the wear of the sole to he more even.

In numerous prior boots and shoes ithas been common practice to insert metallic stifl'eners. or springs of different types, but I have found after long experiment that none of these was most elliciently applied and properly shaped to attain the above advantages. It has been common practice to fasten one or both ends of such stitl'eners or springs. or otherwise securely anchor them in the shoe structure, so that the best action thereof is impeded.

A shoe containing my improvements is made in the usual manner, but affords a special construction throughoutthc shank, which contains a pr perly arched and shaped spring steel plate, free at its ends but anchored generally in position, preferably by riveting it interiorly of, and centrally t0 the insole. This resilient steel member forms an arch of light weight and.

proper curvati'ire, and is forwardly broadened with a bearing surface sliding upon the top side of the sole. while .1 corresponding support is rearwardly provided by a longer and narrower portion sliding upon the top side of the sole immediately above the heel. In this way the. sole brace is free to give at both ends while it is maintained in its proper relative position with respect both to the shoe and the foot of the wearer during use, by being built permanently into the shoe structure.

Further details of my improvements may be explained in connection with the accomfpanying drawings, wherein r Figure 1 is a diagrammatic '1CW in exaggerated cross-section, illustrating the support and action of the sole brace during use.

Fig. 2 braces, illnstratilng its resilient action by dotted lines andthe reduction in weight by cutting away thec ntral portions thereof.

Fig. 3 illustrates the completed 'shoc equipped with my improved sole brace .in side elevation. partially broken away and in section. and Fig. lis an underside plan view of the insole witl, an attached sole brace. riveted centrally ihronghout its body portion.

I have empl yed the same character of reference in the several ligures of the drawings to indicate tlic similar parts.

The shoe of Flgf. 3 is made in the usual manner. except th shank construction contai nin i my imprrnemcnt. licln'ccn the sole o and the insole 71 of said sh c. there is provided an arched steel member c. whose outline is'bcst shown in Fig. 1. The war portion I" of said m mbcr, is s mewhat clongated and is cut a way at the sides, so that the nails of the he l will not strike or interfere therewith. Forwardly. thc incmhcr c is expanded or w-idtned aterally and lransvcrsely bent to all'crd a wide earing section 1' for the top sidc of the sole. ()val rivets (I interiorly secure said member 1' in position beneath the insole 71. thereby leaving it free t flex sufficiently with the Fool of the wearer to aff rd distinctly resilient supconne tion with tl'e first two figures of the drawings, in Fig. 1 of which I have. shown in exaggerated form. the action of the sole brace during use. Said sole brace r: is as sinned to be statioi ary within the shoe. along the median line o--a, its curvature being considerably mozi than would be ifound, with any normal foot. .The. supporting heel Ii, carries the rear extremity n of said sole. brace, while :he widened forward exis a plan view of one of said sole tremi-ty c" rests .upon the base line. In walking, "the. weight of the wearer is generally applied throughout the length of the arch as indicated by'the successive sets of darts f, and in the directions shown. This will elongate the sole brace at the moment ofextreme de ression, so that it assumes the position of ;tlie dotted line K, but it immediatelyregains its arched s 'ape upon the removal of the wearers weight therefrom.

In Fig.2 this elongation also is indicated by dotted line 9, while the oval rivet and rivet hole are well shown therein. The central cut away portions 11d 0 permit a much lighter construction, a. wide bearing surface for The oval rivet holes do weaken 'the sole brace it choring or shank portion thl:

Having now described thif feqired embodiment of my invention, I c aim 'as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following g .1. A boot or shoe having a-resilient arched steel member centrally secured to the insole permanently built into the shank thereof,

he sole bra ce';

, said member having an extended rear end supported in position to slide upon the heel section and a; widened forwardly disposed supporting section, free likewise to slide upon the upper face of the sole, beyond the arch, substantially as set forth.

2. A boot or shoe equippedwith '5' resilient arched sole brace interiorly secured in position within the shoe permanently built into the shank thereof and having an extended rear supporting section and a widened front supporting section, both of which are free to move as the resilient sole brace is elongated by pressure or w'eight thereon, substantially as set forth.

3. A boot or shoe-having an arched sole 'hile affording as set t materially igcritical an' brace s cured approximately at its middle portion only with its ends'left free to slide;

said sole brace being centrally cut away in its body portionsfto reduce the weight thereof, rearwardly elongated and narrowed to afford a bearing surface above the heel and forwardly widened to afford a bearing surface upon the sole of the shoe beyondthe arch, substantially as set forth.

4. A boot or shoe having built into its shank, an arched resilient sole brace centrally secured to the shoe structure with its ends respectively bearing upon and left free to slide above the heel and forwardly of the arch u on the sole of the shoe, substantially orth.

5. A boot or shoe equipped with a resilient arched sole brace; the same having an in- ,tegral anchoring portion intermediate of its ends and angular-1y bent unattached supporting ends, with a median portion of said sole brace cut away adjacent to the Wider sect-ion thereof, substantially as set forth.

6. A sole-brace, adapted to be fixed in position within about or shoe, an arched spring-steel plate attached to the underside thereof, comprising an elongated wear or heel-bearing portion, a

comprising an insole widened forwardly positioned sole-bearing portion, and a connecting intermediate por-' tion laterally cut away and erforated centrully, and a rivet of ova c ross-s ection, passing through said perforaion and centrally securing the arched member to the insole, substantially as set' forth.

In testimony whereof I do now afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

l J'AMEs WEBB SAFFOIm Witnesses:

A. G. Kmon'r, ALBERT LYNN LAWRENCE. 

